The U.S. State Department has officially removed Mali from its Visa Bond Pilot Program, ending the requirement for Malian nationals to post a financial guarantee of between 5,000 and 15,000 U.S. dollars when applying for visas.

Originally implemented for countries with high visa overstay rates, the measure had faced strong opposition from Malian authorities, who retaliated by imposing similar requirements on American travelers.

The decision, announced last week via the State Department’s website, marks a significant thaw in diplomatic relations between Bamako and Washington. However, several other African countries — including Mauritania, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia — remain on the list.